Laserist wanabe from the UK

Hi all, Newish to lasers though I have in the past made a very neat green laser sight for an air rifle (built into a modified fore end), even though I say it myself it was superb and I could have sold loads to other shooters who saw it. But I gave up production engineering years ago, all I want to do now is make things for my enjoyment.

I am the reserve manager/education officer of a nature reserve and every year we run a couple of halloween nights. Over the years I have made various special effects, life size glow in the dark skeleton which is UV sensitive and can be worn in front of someone dressed in black so appears to walk on its own

Last year it was an anamatronic dragons head, UV and breathing fire.


This year it will be a laser projector, powered from a 12v car battery for use in the woodland. I have built a lot of the mechanics to produce a will'o the wisp type effect with rotary mirrors with speed control. It uses a 10mw green and, at present, a 5mw red (which is swamped by the green so not a good yellow).
I am also building a liquid sky projector for use in the haunted house (classroom).

I have purchased some CD burner diodes from the bulk purchase on this site and will be looking to the more experienced laserists to help with information on how to build the drive unit for it.

As I have said in a thread elsewhere that I am a mechanical engineer, not an electronics engineer, but I now how to solder and build vero-board circuits from a diagram so I hope to get it all sorted by halloween .

Well I hope I haven't put too many of you to sleep with my ramblings, catch you again soon. I did try to add photo's of the above projects to break up the diatribe but it seems I am not allowed to post links  
Regards rog8811

welcome to the forum! for spam control, you are not allowed to post links untill you have 20 or more posts just a hint, to make pure yellow, your red should be twice as powerful as the green, for orange it should be more powerful, or the green less powerful enjoy your stay!

Welcome to the forums rog, nice to have another UKer on here. Have fun on the forums.

Jase

@things, thanks for the info....feeling my way with my project at the moment, I have been asked to post photo's of my laser combining setup, it may have to wait a while.

@Tallaxo, I spent most of yesterday reading nearly every thread...now that is behind me a short visit each day may suffice Of all the forums I have found on lasers this seems to be the best.

Regards rog8811

Glad you like the forum are you using a Dichro to combine? It's what I use, but I find it a real pain in the ass to line up, in every axis.

Jase

Hi Rog,

we'll be getting the diodes soon. I expect to make a few LED's before getting it right. (I suppose the laser gods demand sacrifice when you push the diodes too hard...) I think we'll be shooting for around 3v and 300mA. I know I'll be using this to protect the diode from soldering heat:
http://www.oselectronics.com/ose_p85.htm (about 3/4 down the page)
Transistor Socket
For TO-92, TO-18, TO-5, or TO-72 Devices.
PC Mounting. 1/4" Diameter X 1/4" High

http://www.sony.net/Products/SC-HP/cx_news/vol37/pdf/sld1236vl.pdf

I think this is the correct PDF and tech info

@ Tallaxo I am using the range finder off an old russian camera...another 10 posts and I will put some pici's up.

@ stevetexas Thanks for the data sheet, I am not sure how much it will mean to me though.
Have you seen the power supply info posted by DDL today? I have ordered some bits and am sitting with my soldering iron poised!